Matt Cassel among the notable NFL cuts as roster trimmed to 53

The Buffalo Bills signed Matt Cassel with the idea that he could be a dependable bridge starter to whomever their next quarterback would be. Things changed this preseason.

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Tyrod Taylor was named the starter, and former Bills first-round pick EJ Manuel played well. That allowed the Bills to save more than $4 million this season by making Cassel one of their final cuts, according to the team’s official release. It started to become clear as early as June that the new coaching staff started to shine for Taylor more and more. After a strong preseason performance, Taylor was head coach Rex Ryan’s no-brainer starting QB.

Cassel was solid in the preseason, completing 13-of-15 passes but for only 83 yards and a paltry 5.5-yard-per-attempt average. The Bills will go forward with Taylor starting, Manuel as the backup and perhaps with Matt Simms either as the No. 3 QB or a candidate for the practice squad. He, too, played well in the preseason.

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Manuel showed enough this offseason to convince the team he’s worth keeping and developing and will be the first off the bench if Taylor struggles or gets injured. For his career, the former seventh-rounder Cassel has completed 1,397 of 2,369 passes (59.0 percent) for 15,727 yards — more than former No. 1 overall picks David Carr and Tim Couch, for perspective — with 96 touchdowns and 70 interceptions in 71 starts.

Cutting Cassel and longtime fan favorite Fred Jackson, the Bills have saved approximately $8 million against the salary cap.

Here are some other notable cuts from around the NFL on Saturday:

Philadelphia Eagles: Instead of keeping three quarterbacks at the final cutdown, the Eagles kept two and cut Tim Tebow. There was speculation the Eagles might be interested in Christian Ponder, who the Raiders planned to cut. The Raiders also traded linebacker Sio Moore to the Colts on Friday. 

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals cut defensive lineman Devon Still, whose daughter Leah battled cancer in the past year. The good news is that because Still played 12 games last season he gets NFL health insurance for five years regardless of his NFL status. 

New England Patriots: In a bit of a surprise, the Patriots cut running back Jonas Gray according to the Providence Journal. He was the hero of a win against the Colts last year, with 201 yards, four touchdowns and a subsequent Sports Illustrated cover. He got in the doghouse for being late to a meeting after that and never got out of it. The question now is what the Patriots’ running game will look like in Week 1 when LeGarrette Blount is suspended. The Patriots also reportedly released receiver Reggie Wayne after the former Colt requested it.

Washington Redskins: The most notable move in Washington was the one not made. Quarterback Robert Griffin, who has a $16 million option for 2016 that’s guaranteed for injury, survived the cutdown to 53.  

Seattle Seahawks: Running back Robert Turbin, the main backup to Marshawn Lynch last year, will be waived/injured according to reports. There were also reports that the team was shopping running back Christine Michael in a trade. Seattle signed veteran Fred Jackson, who was cut by Buffalo. 

Tennessee Titans: Receiver Hakeem Nicks, who once was an emerging star with the Giants, was cut by Tennessee according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. That should mean more playing time for rookie Dorial Green-Beckham. 

New York Giants: The Giants cut veteran receiver James Jones. That immediately began speculation that the Packers, who James played seven seasons for, would have interest. The Giants also cut tight end Adrien Robinson, whose athletic ability was the reason the team drafted him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. 

Detroit Lions: According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Detroit cut quarterback Kellen Moore and tight end Joseph Fauria, who emerged as a red-zone threat with seven touchdowns two seasons ago.

New York Jets: Quarterback Matt Flynn and outside linebacker Jason Babin were among New York’s cuts. 

San Diego Chargers: Kicker Nick Novak was cut. That seems to signify that undrafted Josh Lambo will be the team’s kicker this season. 

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm